[Irl-dean] Aesthetics of non-visual web experience

[Claude Saulnier]

Hi Eamon

In reply to "I'm not talking about negatives here, such as lack of this or
that  
accessibility barrier. What I want to find out about is what positive  
contributions site design and development can make to the pleasure of  
the web experience for people with disabilities."

I am a new member of VICS, I am not blind, and I am in the process, (I hope)
to join the committee of VICS to help its promotion.

One thing that stroke me looking at the VICS website, which is simple and
easy to navigate, was that it was aimed at visually impaired people as
opposed to the rest of the world. One thing I am suggesting is: make it look
"pleasing" and keep is as accessible as it is, so HR managers looking to
hire a blind person will not see an issue in dealing with someone with a
visual impairement. I am also suggesting to bring multimedia  (videos) to
educate people with no visual impairement to deal with someone blind. In
some way (I already see 20 emails replying I am talking non sense), the
video does not have to accessible since the target is not the disabled user,
but aim at helping them to the rest of the world. I'll stop here, since
these are early ideas and do not have the backing of VICS (this is a
personal intiative following your email).

And it all comes to the business target. Here, the VICS website has to be
useful for members, but also to the community of people that should see
visual impairement as a "handicap that can be worked around".

Kind regards

Claude Saulnier
www.wandsoft.com